‘Stop the War’, Says Exhausted Helmand Peace Convoy After Arriving in Kabul

Dozens of peace marchers arrived in capital Kabul on Monday, after spending the fasting month of Ramandan and crossing some 700 kilometers on foot from Helmand province, calling for an end to nearly 17-year old war in the country.

The peace convoy have crossed Kandahar, Zabul, Ghazni and Maidan Wardak provinces and reached to Kabul after 38 days.

The march kicked off in Lashkar Gah, the capital of southern Helmand province, which is largely under the Taliban control.

“We want peace in Afghanistan, and ceasefire between the government and Taliban, ” said Zir Mohammad, a blind member of the convoy. 

“We don’t want our children to be orphans and our wife be a widow,” said another member of the convey, Mohammad Omar from Maidan Wardak province. “If our demands were not addressed we will go to other provinces and will continue to walk across Afghanistan.”

It began with a group of eight men and it reached to over a hundred when it arrived in Kabul. 

Head of the convoy Iqbal Khyber said that despite of challenges and issues they would continue the move.

“We have been welcomed by the people in each provinces as we have reached. We will continue our move until our voice of peace being heard,” he said.

The convey arrived in Kabul following a three-day ceasefire between the Taliban and government forces coinciding with the Eid al-Fitr Muslim holiday that comes at the end of  holy month of Ramadan.

The government extended its ceasefire by 10 days, but the Taliban said that they would resume their attacks across the country.